Continuous heating-furnace.



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AT1-DARNEY No. 874,422. PATENTED DEC. 24, 1907.

E. NORTON. 1

CONTINUOUS HEATING FURNAOE. y

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 27, 1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PATENTBD DEG. 24, 1907*.`

E. NORTON. CONTINUOUS HEATING FURNAGE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 27,- 1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.-

WITNEEEES."

ATTO RN EY EDWIN NORTON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CONTINUOUS HEATING-FURNACE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 24, 1907.

Application filed February 27, 1907. Serial No. 359,589.

To all whom it may con-cern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN NORTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, county and State of New York, have lnvented or discovered new anduseful Improvements in Continuous Heating -Furnaces, of which the following isfa specification.

My invention relates. to heating furnaces designed especially for the heating of packs of metal sheets preparatory to a rolling operation thereon, but it is also applicable to the heating of single sheets, bars, rods, etc.

It is the object of the present invention to improve that type of continuous furnaces, which employ screw-threaded means for feeding through the furnace packs or -sheets edgewlse in the threads.

A further object is to provide suitable mechanical means for introducing the packs or sheets into the furnace and depositing them between the threads, and to provide suitable means for removing the ack or sheets from the furnace after they ave been suitably heated.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a horizontal section at the level of the conveyerscrews; Fig'. 2 is a section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section onl the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 Fig. 4 is a detail partly in sec.- tion and partly broken away, showing an elevation of the blank charging mechanism; and Fi 5 is a vertical section through one of the for s of the -said'charging mechanism.

On the drawings, 1 represents a 'furnace chamber, having therein the two horizontal screws 2 and 3 journaled front and rear walls of t e furnace. The screws converge toward the rear end of the furnace, their convergence, or inclination toward each other, is preferably such that the packs represented by the numerals 4 and 5 will stand edgewise between opposite pairs of threads without binding on the thread-` walls or becoming wedged between the same that is, the corresponding -or opposite threads on the two screws include substantially parallel planes, all substantially lat right an les to an imaginary line extending` longitudinally of the furnace -midway between the screws. The described inclination of the screws also revents the distortion or curvature of blan s to make them sit between the threads.

At the front end of the furnace the. screws are provided with the worm-wheels 6 geared referably in the -tends through the pi es 29 an pi es being connected together by the hollow' va ve fitting 16, provided with the. valve operating wheel 17. Each bearing has an outlet 18.

19 is an inlet pipe connected to the litting 16.

The screws can be cooled by passing a cooling fluid through the inlet pipe 19, the iitting 16, the pipes 15, and the openings in the rear ends thereof into contact with the bodies` of the screws, whence it passes forward and o'ut through. the outlet pipes 18. During the rotation of the screws the extensions 14 rotate fluid-tight on the hollow bearings 13.

In the roof of the furnace near the ends thereof are the blank entrance and discharge openings 2() and 21, respectively, extending transversely of the furnace and parallel with the planes included within corres onding opposite threads of the screws. T 1e o enings 20 and 21 are closed by the swinging c oors 22 and23, each held normally closed, by the weights 24 on the arms 25 secured to the rocking pivots 26 to which the doors are attached.

Beneath the opening 20 and in line therewith are the two lunger tubes 27 reciprocable through the oor of the furnace and carrying at their upper endsthe hollow forks 28,

between the membersbf which the packs of sheets may be supported on edge, as shown in Fig. 2. The plungers 27 are secured at their lower ends in the horizontal tube 29, supported on the plunger of the hydraulic cy inder 30.

A 31 represents a water inlet ipe which ex- TZ? andnearly to the tips of the ollow fingers 28. The Water escapes through the outlet pipe 32 connected to the pipe 29.

The rear end of the furnace is provided with` hydraulic pack-supporting mechanism like that indicated by the numerals 27 to 30, the corresponding parts bearing the same numerals with prime t) marks.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The furnace havingbeen brought up to the proper heat, the ressure is admitted to the hydraulic cylin er 30 and the forks 5 28 -are thrust u through the opening 20, the

ends of the forlis pushing the door 22 open. A pack of sheets is then deposited by an overhead traveling crane or otherwise between the members of the forks 28. The motor having been started, the cylinder 30 is exhausted and the forks lower the pack into the furnace and deposit the same on the screws 2 and 3, between whose threads it will at once or very soon on a slight rotation of the screws be seated. The forks retire below the lower edge of the pack. As soon as the pack is clear of the path of the forks, the latter are caused to ascend and receive another pacl, which is deposited between the screw threads in the same manner as before. This process is repeated as desired. As the screws rotate (preferabl r in opposite directions to keep the packs om endwise movement) the packs move gradually onv edge to the rear end of the furnace,;receiving heat during their travel. Then each pack arrives opposite the o ening 21, the cylinder 30 is actuated and tlie pack is seized by the forks 28 and lifted up through the said opening, automatically lifting the door 23. The heated ack is then carried by any suitable mechanism to a rolling mill where the gage of the sheets is reduced and the length thereof correspondingly increased. The wei hts 24 automatically close the doors 22 an( 23 when not obstructed by the packs or the forks.

I believe I am the first to devise a continuous furnace wherein packs -or sheets may be received and supported edgewise between thread walls and caused to travel in the furnace.

I have made the threads of the 'screws sufficiently deep to aenable them alone to maintain the packs or sheets on edge. The screws, as they rotate, remove the portions thereof cooled" by contact with the sheets and substitute therefor hot portions which transfer their heat to the plates, so that the ortion of the sheets between the threads will e heated substantially the same degree as the remaining ortions. It is not necessary with screws ma( e of steel to have them water cooled.

I do not limit my invention to any denite 55 number of screws since even the use of one screw with suitable ack supporting devices would come within tlie invention as claimed.

1. In a continuous furnace, a pair of oppor l one toward the other, and means for rotating l the screws, whereby blanks -may `be supported between the corres ondjng threads j of the screws and conveyed ongitudinally of l the furnace without binding on the threads or distorting the blanks.

2. In a continuous furnace for heating packs or. sheets on edge, a rotary screw in the chamber of the furnace for supporting 7e and conveying the packs or sheets, the threads of said screw having such depth that the thread walls maintain said packs or sheets on edge.

3. In va continuous furnace for heating packs or sheets on edge, a pair of oppositely arranged rotary screws in the furnace chamber for supporting and conveying packs or sheets, the threads of said screws having such depth that the thread-walls maintain said packs or sheets on edge.

4. In a continuous furnace, having. an opening in the roof thereof, a blank transferring device reciprocable in the furnace chamber and through'the said opening.

5. In a continuous furnace, a rotatable screw located within the furnace chamber and adapted to receive 4blanks in its threads, a reciprocable blank carrier having means for receiving blanks and means for moving I the carrier with a contained blark transl versely of the screw, whereby a blank may be delivered to said screw or removed therefrom.

6. In a continuous furnace, a rotatable screw located within the furnace chamber and adapted t0 receive and convey flat blanks on edge in its threads, and a reciprocable blank carrier adapted to 4receive said blanks on edge and convey them on edge to 100 the threads of said screw.

7. In a continuous furnace, a rotatable screw located within the furnace chamber and adapted to receive and conve blanks in its threads, and a reciprocable b ank car- 105 rier, having means` for transferring blanks from said screw and discharging them from the said chamber.

8. In a continuous furnace, a rotatable screw located within the furnace chamber 110 and adapted to receive and convey flat blankson edge in its threads, and areciprocable blank discharging device adapted to receive the blanks from said screw and discharge them on edge from said chamber.

Signed at Pittsburg, Pa., this 2nd day of January, A. D. 1907.

EDWIN NORTON.

Witnesses:

F. N. BAEBER, C. E. .EGGERs 

